Background Information

Content information:

The activities in this unit will help you to explore key aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives with your children will benefit both First Nations and non-Indigenous children.

For any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in your centre, exploring their culture plays a key role in their development, identity and self-esteem, and contributes to the overall well-being of the child.

For non-Indigenous children, embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in their early education experiences is fundamental in creating inclusive and accepting attitudes, and positive race relations. These perspectives are also about celebrating different cultures and the uniqueness of individuals. It is enriching for children to experience the different perspectives and diverse human experiences other cultures can bring to the melting pot.

For more information about why you should aim to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives at your centre - including terms of reference and cultural protocols - visit Caring for Country – Learning for Educators.
To access more activities to support you in exploring and embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories in your centre and activities, click here.

Before beginning this activity, it is strongly recommended that you complete the Tuning In Introductory Lessons. These activities will guide you to find out more about the Traditional Owners of your area. Having this information will support you in authentically embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in your room and centre as well as guiding you to build genuine relationships with the Traditional Owners of your area.

Part A: Discussion

Step 1.

Collect the range of items of different colours (these can be any items you have around your room, such as pillows, pieces of coloured card, pieces of fabric, blocks or playdough).

Step 2.

Invite children to sit in a circle and share the items you have collected with them. Engage children in a discussion around the following questions, using the items you have collected as prompts:

I wonder what this item is?
I wonder what colour it is?
I wonder what this colour makes you think about?
I wonder if this colour makes you feel warm or cool?
I wonder if we can think about which colours could belong to different types of weather? For example, what colour might rain be?
I wonder what colour wind might be?
I wonder what colour a hot day be might be?
I wonder what colour you would pick for the weather today?
I wonder if we can think about which colour could belong to each season? What colour would you pick for the season you are in right now?

To find out more about how these types of questions help with oral language development, click here.

Explain to children that there are no right or wrong answers in this discussion; the colours they choose for different seasons and different types of weather are entirely up to them and different children might have completely different ideas - this is perfectly fine!

If you are familiar with the seasons on your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander weather calendar you could include these seasons in your discussion.

Part B: Activity

Step 1.

Children can now create an artwork around the weather and the seasons. They will create a painting by placing blobs of watery paint on some paper, taking a straw (bamboo or paper) and using the straw to blow the paint around the paper.

They can choose the colours they chose for the season you are currently in or the colours they chose for the type of weather you are experiencing today.

You could let children create multiple artworks for different seasons and different types of weather.

You could also label the paintings with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander season/weather names for your place, and create a display that shares these seasons with families and visitors to your centre.

Part C: Possible Lines of Development

Children may have their own ideas about how to extend this activity, or you could consider the following:

On a rainy day, invite children to create watercolour paintings and then place these out in the rain for a short time to see how the raindrops affect the artworks.
Create and paint paper butterflies, birds and other insects to hang in the tree/off a fence and watch them blow in the breeze.
Explore other Caring for Country Themed Activities.

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning, listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with challenge and persisting when difficulty arises
Wellbeing	Being involved

Caring for Country: Wind/Seasons Arts and Crafts

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